This invention relates to medical instruments and procedures in general, and more particularly to suturing instruments and methods for suturing.
Suturing instruments are typically used to secure together two or more portions of a subject patient (e.g., tissue such as muscle or skin) or to attach an object to the patient (e.g., to attach a piece of surgical mesh to the abdominal wall of the patient during hernia repair surgery).
Certain suturing instruments employ a needle that precedes a length of suture material through a subject.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,470,875; 4,027,608; 4,747,358; 5,308,353; 5,674,230; 5,690,653; 5,759,188; and 5,766,186 generally disclose suturing instruments in which a needle, with trailing suture material, is passed through a subject.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,890,615; 4,935,027; 5,417,700; and 5,728,112 generally disclose suturing instruments in which suture material is passed through the end of a hollow needle after that needle has been passed through a subject.
With all of the foregoing devices, a needle must be passed through the subject in order to deploy the suture. This has the disadvantage that the needle typically leaves a larger hole in the subject than is necessary to accommodate only the suture material itself. In this respect it should be appreciated that it is generally desirable to alter each portion of the material being sutured (e.g., tissue) as little as possible during the suturing process.
A suturing instrument has been devised which permits the suture material itself to pierce the subject without the use of a needle. However, this device does not permit adequate flexibility with regard to the type of fastening which may be effected.
More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,990 discloses a suturing instrument having a pair of jaws at its distal end for clamping together two portions of a subject. A 0.25 mm stainless steel suturing wire is advanced to the distal end of the suturing instrument, whereupon the distal end of the suturing wire is caused to travel in a spiral direction so as to create stitches joining together the two portions of the subject. After the spiral is formed, the beginning and end portions of the suture may be bent toward the tissue in order to inhibit retraction of the suture wire into the tissue upon removal of the suturing instrument. The stainless steel wire is sufficiently firm to hold this locking set. In addition, after the spiral is formed, the radius of the deployed suture spiral may then be decreased by advancing an outer tube over a portion of the distal end of the instrument. Again, the stainless steel wire is sufficiently firm to hold this reducing set.
Unfortunately, however, such a system does not permit adequate flexibility with regard to the type of fastening which may be effected. More particularly, the suturing instrument of U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,990 must clamp the two portions of the subject between its two jaws in order to effect suturing. Such a construction can be inadequate where it is difficult or even impossible to clamp the two portions of the subject between the instrument""s jaws, e.g., where the two portions of the subject are too thick to be spanned by the jaws, or where the angle of approach prevents the jaws from clamping together the two portions of the subject, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,661 discloses a surgical instrument having a pair of jaws at its distal end for clamping together two portions of a subject and applying staples thereto. The staples are formed from the distal end of a length of wire. More particularly, the distal end of the wire is passed through a subject and thereafter contacts a die that causes the wire to bend, thereby forming the staple. The wire is sufficiently firm to take on the set imposed by the die. The staple portion is then cut away from the remainder of the wire by a knife.
Again, such a system suffers from the fact that it does not permit adequate flexibility with regard to the type of fastening which may be effected, since the surgical instrument must clamp the two portions of the subject between its two jaws in order to effect stapling, and this can be difficult or even impossible to achieve in certain circumstances, e.g., where the two portions of the subject are too thick to be spanned by the jaws, or where the angle of approach prevents clamping, etc.
There is a need, therefore, for a new suturing device that permits minimally disruptive suturing and provides increased flexibility in the application of the suture material.
The present invention comprises a novel device and method for deploying a flexible elongated element through a subject so as to effect suturing.
In one embodiment of the invention, the device includes a proximal end and a distal end, and an advancement unit for longitudinally advancing the flexible elongated element toward the distal end of the device such that a distal end of the flexible elongated element may exit from the distal end of the device with sufficient force to pass through the subject. The device also includes a curved die at the distal end of the device for imparting a looping configuration to portions of the flexible elongated element exiting the distal end of the device, and a curved guide at the distal end of the device for receiving the looped flexible elongated element as it returns to the distal end of the device. In a further feature of the invention, a cutting mechanism is provided to permit the looped flexible elongated element to be separated from the remainder of the flexible elongated element. And in a further feature of the invention, the cutting mechanism is adapted to deform the trailing end of the looped flexible elongated element so that the trailing end is forced distally, toward the subject being sutured.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a suturing instrument for joining a first portion of material to a second portion of material, the suturing instrument comprising:
a handle;
an end effector mounted on the handle and defining therein:
a channel for supporting suture wire, the channel being curved to impart a looping configuration to portions of the suture wire passed therethrough;
an end recess adapted to receive the looped suture wire emerged from the channel; and
a passageway for supporting a cutting bar, the passageway intersecting the channel so as to create an island between the channel and the passageway;
a wire advancing actuator mounted on the handle for moving the suture wire through the channel, through the material first and second portions and back into the end recess;
a cutting bar movably disposed in the passageway for selectively engaging the suture wire, the cutting bar being adapted to (1) cut the looped suture wire from the remaining portions of the suture wire; (2) bend the trailing end of the looped suture wire around the island; and (3) lift the looped suture wire over the island; and
a cutting bar actuator mounted on the handle for moving the cutting bar into engagement with the suture wire.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a structure for supporting suture wire during driving of the suture wire, the structure comprising:
a first tube for closely surrounding and slidably supporting the suture wire;
a first pair of diametrically opposed openings formed in the first tube for exposing the suture wire for driving, the first pair of diametrically opposed openings being sized sufficiently small so as to maintain support for the suture wire;
a second tube disposed about a portion of the first tube; and
a second pair of diametrically opposed openings formed in the second tube, the second pair of diametrically opposed openings being aligned with the first pair of diametrically opposed openings, and the second pair of diametrically opposed openings being sufficiently small so as to maintain support for the first tube.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a method for joining a first portion of material to a second portion of material, the method comprising:
providing a suturing instrument comprising:
a handle;
an end effector mounted on the handle and defining therein:
a channel for supporting suture wire, the channel being curved to impart a looping configuration to portions of the suture wire passed therethrough;
an end recess adapted to receive the looped suture wire emerged from the channel; and
a passageway for supporting a cutting bar, the passageway intersecting the channel so as to create an island between the channel and the passageway;
a wire advancing actuator mounted on the handle for moving the suture wire through the channel, through the material first and second portions and back into the end recess;
a cutting bar movably disposed in the passageway for selectively engaging the suture wire, the cutting bar being adapted to (1) cut the looped suture wire from the remaining portions of the suture wire; (2) bend the trailing end of the looped suture wire around the island; and (3) lift the looped suture wire over the island; and
a cutting bar actuator mounted on the handle for moving the cutting bar into engagement with the suture wire;
positioning the end effector against at least one of the portions to be joined;
moving the suture wire through the channel, through the material first and second portions and back into the end recess; and
moving the cutting bar in the passageway so as to (1) cut the looped suture wire from the remaining portions of the suture wire; (2) bend the trailing end of the looped suture wire around the island; and (3) lift the looped suture wire over the island.
In another form of the invention, there is provided a method for driving wire, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a structure for supporting suture wire during driving of the suture wire, the structure comprising:
a first tube for closely surrounding and slidably supporting the suture wire;
a first pair of diametrically opposed openings formed in the first tube for exposing the suture wire for driving, the first pair of diametrically opposed openings being sized sufficiently small so as to maintain support for the suture wire;
a second tube disposed about a portion of the first tube; and
a second pair of diametrically opposed openings formed in the second tube, the second pair of diametrically opposed openings being aligned with the first pair of diametrically opposed openings, and the second pair of diametrically opposed openings being sufficiently small so as to maintain support for the first tube; and
engaging the suture wire with a pair of opposing rollers, each of the opposing rollers engaging the suture wire by accessing the suture wire through one of the second pair of diametrically opposed openings and one of the first pair of diametrically opposed openings.